DERRY AUTHOR and journalist Eamonn McCann stormed the offices of American arms manufacturer Raytheon Systems with other protesters to prevent war crimes, his lawyer claimed yesterday.
Michael Topolski QC made the claim as Mr McCann (65) from Westland Avenue, Derry, went on trial at Belfast Crown Court along with five Derry men accused of affray and three counts of criminal damage at the Branch Road offices of the company on Wednesday, August 9th, 2006.
Prosecution QC Paul Ramsey, in opening the Crown case, said the men had gone beyond legitimate and peaceful protest and engaged in “an orgy of wanton and deliberate destruction”.
Mr Topolski said while Mr McCann admitted to being one of the protesters who caused over £20,000(€24,944) worth of damage, what was at issue were his motives. He asked the jury whether Mr McCann’s conduct that day had been an act of mere protest and vandalism, “or was it to prevent a crime being committed?”
Mr Topolski said Mr McCann believed Raytheon was aiding and abetting “crimes against humanity” by the Israeli defence forces in Lebanon.
Earlier in his opening, Mr Ramsey claimed Mr McCann and the others had been part of a group that had set off to protest at the company. As members of a passing police patrol went to talk to the protesters, a group of about 10 people broke away and stormed the building and finally gained entrance after smashing their way through a glass door.
Mr Ramsey said the men then ran to the first-floor offices of Raytheon, ordered staff out and barricaded themselves inside, after which computers, files and other equipment were seen being thrown from the building.
He said that police finally had to storm the offices to end the protest after mediation failed.
Also on trial are James Anthony Kelly (47) of Rathkeele Way; Eamon O’Donnell (53) of Campion Court; Colm Donal Sarto Bryce (42) of Westland Avenue; Sean Heaton (35) of Circular Road and Kieran Vincent Gallagher (42) of Craft Village, all Derry.
They all deny charges of affray and three counts of criminal damage. In addition Mr McCann and Mr Gallagher alone deny charges of the theft of computer disks from Raytheon.